fewer delays. faster flights. it's time!

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Congress is currently considering the 21st Century AIRR Act, legislation that would finally modernize America’s antiquated air traffic control system. Sign up below to join the fight for reform.

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Why We Support Air Traffic Control Reform

America invented aviation, but the air traffic control system we rely on today is inefficient. If you fly, you have felt the impact in time wasted and money lost.

After three decades of falling behind, it’s time for Congress to act.

Fewer Delays

Transferring the air traffic control function to an independent, not-for-profit and self-funding organization provides long-term financial stability that benefits all travelers and shippers. It is the means for continuous air traffic control infrastructure and technology upgrades that benefit passengers, shippers and the environment by reducing delays, saving time and money, and reducing emissions.

Faster Flights

Today, air traffic controllers sequence planes for take-off using paper strips and track them in-flight with ground-based radar. This inefficient system requires planes to travel from point to point, often traveling out of their way rather than in a straight, direct route. These outdated technologies result in unnecessarily long flight times and indirect routes, which add time, fuel and ultimately more cost.

Enhanced Safety

Safety is priority number one. The United States has the safest air traffic control system in the world and the implementation of available, state-of-the art technology will enhance safety while improving operational performance. For too long, the governance and infrastructure of the air traffic control system has been allowed to become outdated, hampered by faulty governance and political red tape.

Reduced Taxes

Passengers and taxpayers currently pay about $12 billion annually to the federal government just for air traffic control services. On top of that, passengers pay an additional $3 billion in passenger facility taxes for airports. A critical part of reforming our system includes eliminating the $12 billion in taxes that passengers pay for air traffic control and instead require airlines to pay for their use of the system. That’s how most other developed countries pay for their air traffic control system.

What They're Saying

"The FAA suffers from an unstable procurement system and an unpredictable federal funding structure that hampers the agency from improving technology incrementally so it’s always up to date, which also undermines the FAA's ability to train and maintain a qualified workforce. We should make the changes necessary to preserve America's leadership in global aviation. This can only happen with systemic ATC reform." - David Grizzle, former COO for the Federal Aviation Administration

"As the debate about reform of the air traffic control (ATC) system continues, those against changing the system are simply not accepting reality. Congress must remove the ATC operations from government control." - Charlie Leocha, Founder of Travelers United

“Air traffic control reform, if done correctly, can make air travel more direct, more dependable, more efficient, and safer while substantially reducing flight delays, cancellations, and carbon emissions. These changes will benefit passengers, cargo carriers, general aviation and provide relief from the economic drag an underperforming system puts on our economy.” - Norman Y. Mineta, former Secretary of Transportation

"The FAA’s reliance on antiquated technology is the clearest symptom of an underlying problem with the way the air traffic control system is run. Although the FAA is more than a decade into to its effort to move to a next-generation, satellite-based system, NextGen is facing the same systemic problems that have plagued past modernization efforts." - Dorothy Robyn, former Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy

“Moving the air traffic control function into a federally chartered non-profit, self-funding organization, moves it out of the uncertainty of future political battles over matters unrelated to the urgency of modernizing our air traffic control system.” - James Burnley, former Secretary of Transportation

“Anyone arguing that ATC reform is about “privatizing” or creating a “profit-making” enterprise doesn’t understand the issue or doesn’t want you to understand it. The proposal is to establish a federally chartered, non-profit organization representing all stakeholders, including the federal government. The fees collected to run this system would reflect the costs to operate, maintain and improve it.” - Byron Dorgan, former United States Senator

As the nation readies for one of the busiest travel periods of the year, now is the perfect time to ask Congress "Why is the United States the last developed country in the world to finally upgrade from 1950s air traffic control (ATC) technolog...

The Editorial Board

Supporter Map

Over 1,000 elected officials, think tanks, advocacy groups, and labor unions from across the political spectrum support air traffic control reform. Over 123,000 travelers have sent 282,900 messages to Congress in support.